Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MITCHELLE DRULIS
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes low-speed electric bicycle public awareness campaign in MVC; appropriates $250,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a public awareness campaign concerning low-speed electric bicycles, supplementing Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall establish a public awareness campaign to inform the general public about the safety concerns related to low-speed electric bicycles and the legal requirements when riding a low-speed electric bicycle. The campaign shall include, at a minimum, dissemination of information relating to the traffic laws the operator of a low-speed electric bicycle is required to follow.
b. The chief administrator shall, at a minimum:
(1) provide for the development of printed educational materials and public service announcements in English and Spanish; and
(2) disseminate information for distribution to the public, through a variety of entities, including, but not limited to, businesses in the State that sell low-speed electric bicycles, community centers, other child-focused community-based outreach programs and organizations, libraries, middle schools, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission agencies and regional service centers, and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission’s official website.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission the sum of $250,000 to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to establish a low-speed electric bicycle public awareness campaign.
Under the provisions of the bill, the Chief Administrator of the MVC is required to inform the general public of the safety concerns related to operating low-speed electric bicycles and the legal requirements for riding low-speed electric bicycles. The information provided in the public awareness campaign is required to include, but is not limited to, traffic laws the operator of a low-speed electric bicycle is required follow.
To carry out the public awareness campaign, the chief administrator is required to, at minimum, develop educational materials and public service announcements in English and Spanish and disseminate the information on the MVC’s website and to a variety of organizations throughout the State, such as local MVC offices, community organizations, businesses selling low-speed electric bicycles in the State, and middle schools.
The bill appropriates $250,000 to the MVC for this purpose. By introducing this legislation, the sponsor intends to reduce the number of people who are injured or killed while using a low-speed electric bicycle. As the incidence and seriousness of injuries sustained by children using low-speed electric bicycles is rising, the bill specifically provides for the dissemination of informational materials to the public at various locations where children and their parents may access the information.